Prediction of long-term outcome. During a median
follow-up period of 2.1 years (first to third quartile, one to
three years), a total of 40 cardiac deaths occurred in the
study population (Fig. 1).
Univariable predictors of cardiac death were age, diabetes,
smoking, previous myocardial infarction, presence of
LBBB, three-vessel disease on angiography, and extent of a
mismatch pattern on PET imaging. The simple presence of
a mismatch pattern was not predictive of death (Table 3).
Scar tissue (match pattern) involved a median of 30% of the
left ventricle (first to third quartile, 18% to 42%) and was
not a predictor of cardiac death during follow-up.
Multivariable analysis selected age (p 0.005), LBBB (p
0.001), and extent of mismatch on PET imaging (p 0.001)
as independent prognostic indicators (Table 3). The extent
of mismatch was strongly related (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.13 to
1.64) to mortality, with an 8% increase in extent of
mismatch determining a 36% increase in risk of cardiac